The World of Animals

Object Details

• Artist

  Miskin (active late 1570s–ca. 1604)

• Court

  Mughal Court

• School/Tradition

  Mughal school

• Label

  This extraordinary drawing represents an animal kingdom in which peace and harmony reign supreme, and in which lion and antelope, ostrich and dragon, elephant and crocodile can live side by side. The fine workmanship is representative of the acute observation and refined talent of the master artists of Akbar's (r.1556-1605) atelier. Noted artist Miskin has included nearly one hundred creatures in this study and has given each loving attention.

  The upper levels of the drawing feature a range of birds, including a stunning phoenix; the large central area is occupied by land animals: elephants, tigers, lions, camels, deer, goats, sheep, monkeys, bears and cats. The lowest zone portrays creatures of the sea: crocodiles, crabs, turtles, fish, seals. Tinted drawings such as this were known in Persian as nim qalam, or "half pen," and were popular with the Mughals; they are not preparatory drawings. The margin decoration of ducks and cranes in a landscape, produced as was customary by an artist who specialized in borders, harmonizes with the central theme.

• Provenance

  At least 1928-?

  Demotte, Inc., New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  ?-?

  Ownership information unknown

  ?-1945

  Heeramaneck Galleries (active 1928-1964), New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [2]

  From 1945

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Heeramaneck Galleries [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Edgar Blochet, “Catalogue of an Exhibition of Persian Paintings from the XIIth to the XVIIIth cent. Formerly from the Collections of the Shahs of Persia and of the Great Moguls held at the Gallery Demotte Inc.,” [sale catalogue], (New York: Demotte, Inc., November-December 1928), cat. 173, p. 10. Object is described as, “Very fine painting in pale tints, inspired by the perspective and decoration of frescos taken from the Persian dictionary entitled Farhang-i-Djihanguiri, which was illuminated in 1608 for Emperor Djihanguir and representing all the animals of creation, under a tree, in the branches of which monkeys are chattering. [/] This composition is surrounded by large margins, decorated with gold designs representing birds.”

  See also Milo Beach, “The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court,” (Washington, DC and Ahmedabad, India: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Mapin International Inc., 2012), cat. 45, pp. 172-174. Milo Beach states that “this drawing was later mounted (to enhance its appeal to collectors) within the borders of a Farhang-i Jahangiri manuscript before it was sold by the Parisian dealer Georges Demotte.”

  Georges Demotte (1877-1923) was a collector and dealer of Islamic and medieval European art. He had galleries in Paris and New York City.

  [2] See letter and object list from Nasli Heeramaneck to Richard Ettinghausen, dated February 21, 1945, copy in object file. Nasli Heeramaneck’s letter states that he has shipped this object to the Freer Gallery of Art. In the object list, this object is described as, “Indian drawing with birds, animals, reptiles in a rocky landscape with trees.”

  Heeramaneck Galleries in New York, NY owned and operated by Nasli M. (1902-1971) and Alice N. Heeramaneck (née Arvine) (1910-1993). The Heeramaneck’s were dealers and collectors of Pre-Columbian and Asian art. Nasli Heeramaneck began his career as a dealer in Paris during the 1920s and relocated to New York, NY in 1927. In 1939, Nasli married Alice Arvine, an American portrait painter from New Haven, CT. Nasli founded Heeramaneck Galleries in New York, NY by 1928. He began to retire in 1964 and liquidated some of the gallery’s stock at auction at Parke-Barnet, New York in 1964 and 1965. Many objects from the Heeramaneck collection were either purchased or donated to American museums. Items from their collection may be found in The British Museum; the Cleveland Museum of Art; Los Angeles County Museum; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; National Museum of New Delhi; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; and Yale University.

  [3] See object file for copy of the Heeramaneck Galleries invoice to Freer Gallery of Art, dated May 26, 1945, and marked approved on May 19, 1945. Object is described as, “Indian painting of the World of Animals.”

  Research updated November 27, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Worlds within Worlds: Imperial Paintings from India and Iran (July 28 to September 16, 2012)

  Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)

  The Natural World in Indian Painting (September 4, 1996 to May 17, 1997)

  South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)

  The Arts of South Asia (May 13, 1985 to December 2, 1985)

  The Imperial Image: Painting for the Mughal Court (September 25, 1981 to 30 March 1982)

  The Brush of the Masters: Drawings from India (October 14, 1978 to May 15, 1979)

  Special Exhibition, Near Eastern Art (September 15, 1953 to February 9, 1954)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Demotte, Inc.

  Heeramaneck Galleries (active 1928-1964)

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1590s, 1580s

• Name

  Demotte, Inc., Heeramaneck Galleries

• Place

  India

• Topic

  Cats, Art, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Reign of Akbar (1556 - 1605), Rhinoceros, Birds, Camel, Dragon, Elephants, South Asian and Himalayan Art, Animals, Fishes, Horses, Antelope, Phoenix, Illumination

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings